Deflector for use with conveyor



Nov. 6, 1956 R. POWERS 2,769,530

DEFLECTOR FOR USE WITH CONVEYOR F11ed 001. 11, 1955 s sheets-sheet 1 @IY @E |1111!! INVENTOR.

RICHAR POWERS ATTORNEYS oN Q.

Nov. 6, 1956 R. PowRS DEFLECTOR FOR USE WITH CONVEYOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed 0G12. ll, 1955 @wel INVENT RICHARD POWERS @il w l mm ATTORNEYSNOV. 6, 1956 Rl POWERS 2,769,530

DEFLECTOR FOR USE WITH CONVEYOR Filed Oct. l1. 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3FIG. 3.

F l Q 4. INVENTOR.

BYRICHARD POWERS @mm-MYM ATTORNEYS DEFLECTOR FOR USE WITH CONVEYORRichard Powers, Broomall, Pa., assignor to Bulletin Company,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 11,1955, Serial No. 539,740

Claims. (Cl. 198-188) This invention relates to a deector and, moreparticularly, relates-to a deflector useful in connection with conveyorsfor deflecting an article from one conveyor to another conveyor.

Deilectors have been used heretofore with conveyors in order to directan article from one conveyor to -another conveyor. They have in general,however, been decient in that they cannot be operated with suiicientrapidity or they are dilicult to operate without causing jams. Thus, forexample, in connection with the conveyance of newspaper bundles, therehas been utilized a Vertical acting deector. This type of deector istroublesome to operate since it is ditlicult to prevent a deector frommoving downwardly on top of a newspaper bundle and hence causing thebundles to jam up on the conveyor. Greater selectivity is achieved withthe deector of this invention since, immediately after the deectorcommences to reu-act, it will not deilect but merely hold back the nextbundle on the conveyor until this bundle is permitted to pass freely.

A broad object of this invention is to provide a deeetor for use inconjunction with conveyors which may be rapidly manipulated and which,irrespective of the skill of the operator, will not cause jams. This andother objects of this invention will be apparent -on reading thefollowing description in conjunction with Ithe drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a deector in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the deector of Figure l Figure 3 is aschematic view of the deector of Figure 1 associated with a conveyorsystem;

Figure 4 is a vertical elevation of the apparatus of Figure 2 viewedfrom the right-hand end.

Referring now to Figure l, a deector 2 in accordance with this inventionis mounted adjacent a belt conveyor 4 which has an upstanding guide rail5 and which is adapted to convey, for example, a newspaper bundle 6. Adischarge conveyor 8 having rollers 9 is substantially perpendicular toconveyor 4.

As shown in Figure 2, the detlector 2 has a metal frame having verticalstandards 10 and 12 and transverse L-shaped frame members 14 `and 16.Vertical frame members 18, and 22 are welded to transverse frame members14 and 16. Brackets 24, welded respectively to vertical frame members 18and 22, are bolted to brackets 26 which in turn are bolted respectivelyto vertical standards 16 and 12.

A channel-shaped deector `arm 30 has its outer end welded to a verticalplate 32. Plate 32 has welded thereto hinge members 34 and 36 throughwhich a hinge bolt 38 passes. Hinge bolt 38 also passes through hingebrackets 40 and 42 which are welded to transverse frame members 14 and16 respectively.

A second channel-shaped deector arm 44 has its inner end hingedlysecured to the inner end of deector arm 30 as shown at 46. The outer endof arm 44 is welded to a vertical plate 48. .A pair of hinge members and52 nited States Patent O lce are welded to plate 48 and are mountedbetween hinge brackets 54 and 56. A hinge bolt 58 passes through hingebracket 54, hinge member 50, hinge member 52 and hinge bracket 56. Y Y

Hinge brackets 54 and 56 are welded to a slide 60. Slide 60 is mountedin lower channelrtrack 62 which is welded to transverse frame member 16and in upper channel track 64 which is secured to transverse framemember 14 by countersunk bolts 66. Slide 60 is connected to plunger rod70 of air operated double acting ram 72 by means of L-shaped bracket 78which is welded to slide 60 and which is secured to rod 70 by a clevis74 held by bolt 76.

Ram 72 is secured to transverse frame member 14 by means of brackets 475and 77, respectively, which are welded to ram 72 and bolted to member14. Ram air supply Iline 79 is fed by a exible hose 80 which in turn isconnected to compressed air line 82 which is provided with a pressureregulator 84. Ram air supply line 79 supplies a 2-position solenoidoperated valve 86 which is adapted to control the ow of air to theappropriate end of the ram cylinder in a manner which is well known tothe art and need not be detailed here. A line `88 leads from valve 86 toa switch and power supply line (not shown). The outward stroke of theram is of sufficient length to carry deector arms 30 and 34 to aposition adjacent conveyor rail 5 but not long enough to have the armslie in a single vertical plane. Thus the arms lie in vertical planeswhich are slightly out of line in order to provide for the ready hingingof the arms when the ram is retracted.

The deector in accordance with this invention is also provided with avariety of buler means. Rubber rolls 90 and 92 are secured by a pressedt to arms 30 and 34 adjacent the inner hinged ends. When the arms aremoved to the non-operative position, the rolls 90 and 92 act to bufferthe arms as they move against rail 5. They thus reduce noise and alsoact to prevent the arms from being ycarried so as to lie in a :singlevertical plane should the stroke of the ram be a little too long.

A buer compression coil spring 94 is also provided. This spring ismounted on a rod 96. Rod 96 has a threaded end 98 with a pair of nuts100 and 102 which act to limit the travel of spring 94. Rod 96 issecured to bracket 104 by nuts 106 placed on opposite sides of thebracket. The other end of rod 96 passes through an opening 108 inbracket 78.

Figure 3 gives a schematic showing of vthe manner of using the deflectorin accordance with this invention. The showing of Figure 3 is a verysimplified showing of a typical conveyor system for handling newspaperbundles. A chute 110 is adapted to deliver newspaper -bundles toconveyor 4 where they can be deected by dellector 2 onto roller conveyor8 or, alternatively, they can be permitted to be conveyed further alongto -another discharge station.

Operation The operation, which is readily self-evident from the priordescription, will be briefly described. When it is desired to deflect anewspaper bundle 6 onto conveyor 8, valve 86 is operated to introducecompressed air into ram 72 so as to retract rod 70. In retracting, rod70 carries slide 60 to the left, Vas viewed in Figure 2, which causesarms 30 and 44 to pivot about hinge bolts 38 and 58 and, where hinged,at 46. This yadvances the deector arms outwardly over the conveyor andplaces arm 30 in a position to deliect newspaper bundle 6 onto conveyor8. It will also be seen that, if the conveyor is reversed, deflector arm44 will act as the dellector. When it is no longer desired to deectnewspaper bundles to conveyor 8, valve 86 is again actuated to introducecompressed air Patented Nov. 6, 1956 Y V3 to the opposite end of ram 72thus causing rod 70 to be extended which, in turn, results in Yfoldingdeflector arms 30 and 44 inwardly against yconveyor guide rail. ThisVaction is buffered nearV the end by bracket-v78 Yengaging spring 94 andcompressing it. VFurther buffering is -ae- Complished when rolls 90 and9 2 come intoeontact withV guide rail 5. e

It istnot desired to be limited except as setrforth in the fr followingclaims.

Y What is claimed is: Y Y

1. A deflector for'use with a conveyor comprising: a

axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the con- Y Vveyor, aslide, a second dellector arm pivotally secured to said Vslide on anaxis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the conveyor, the innerends of said arms being pivotall-y secured together on an axissubstantially fperpendicular to Ythe plane or" the conveyor, meansconnected totsaid slide to advance and retract the slide to, in turn,advance and retract the deiiectorY arms over the con- Y veyor.

2..,A deector for use with a conveyor comprising: a deector armpivotally mounted at its outer end on a substantially vertical axis, aslide, a second Vdeliector arm pivotally secured on a substantiallyvertical axis to said slide, the inner ends of saidv arms being hingedtogether Y on. a substantially vertical axis, means connected to said ona substantially vertical axis, a ram connected to said Y' deilector armpivotally mounted at its outer end on an Yslide and adapted to advanceand retract the ,slide to, in

turn, advance and retract the deector arms over theV conveyor. Y Y Y 4.A deector for use with a conveyor comprising: a

Yram having an axis adapted to ylie in a plane substantially parallel tothe planerof the conveyor, a slide-connected to t said ram, a detiectorarm pivotally mounted at its outer end on an axissubstantiallyperpendicular to `the 'plane ofthe conveyor, a second deector armpivotally secured to said slide on an axis substantially perpendiculartothe plane of the conveyor, theY inner endsV of said Varrnsbeingpivotally secured together on an axis substantially per- I pendicular'tothe plane of theY conveyor, said ram adapted to advance and retract saidslide to, in'turn, advance and retract the defleotor'arms over the'conveyor and saidrarn in the fullyV extended position maintaining Ysaidarms at a slight angle with respect to each other. Y Y 5. A detlectorfor use with a conveyorrcomprising: Y

aY ram having an axis adapted to. lie in VaV plane substantiallyparallel to the plane of 'a conveyor, a slide connected to said ram, adeflector arm pivotally mounted at its outer end onV an axissubstantallyperpendicular to the plane of the conveyor, a seconddetiector arm pivot-1 ally secured to said slide on an Vaxissubstantially per` pendicular tol the plane of the conveyor, theinnerends of said arms being pivotally secured togetherV on an axissubstantially perpendicular to the plane of said con- 'Y veyor, saidrarn adapted to advanceV and retract said VslideV Yto, in turn, advanceand retract'the deector arms over thev conveyor and spring means to.buffer the action of said ram adjacentthe termination 4of its extensionstroke. Y

References Cited in the` iile of this patent Y' YFOREIGN PATENTS YGennany Y Jan. 3,1951',V

